Forum Discussion
Clarification on Exchange Server SE Edition and Licensing
One thing I’ve noticed is that CSP partners cannot sell Software Assurance licenses, and there is also no subscription-based licensing for Exchange Server like there is for SQL Server. This makes Exchange Server licensing a bit confusing. From what I understand, CSP customers can only purchase Exchange Server 2019 from their partners and then upgrade to the SE edition. However, there is one concern — the Hybrid License. It might have an impact if we set up a hybrid environment with Microsoft 365 without Software Assurance. I understand that there are no technical challenges in doing so, but it may not be fully compliant with Microsoft’s licensing terms. I truly hope Microsoft provides clear and consistent licensing options across all channels, including CSP. Nowadays, it seems the focus is mainly on existing Exchange customers, but there should also be a proper path for new customers who wish to implement Exchange Server without an EA agreement.
As per our discussion with the partners, they mentioned that they haven’t received the price list for SE in their portal. They also stated that upgrading to SE requires a server license with Software Assurance (SA). I agree with this, but I am still a bit confused about the following:
If I purchase Exchange 2019 with SA for 1 year with 20 user CALs and upgrade to SE, what happens after 1 year? Will the SE license expire and require renewal?
In most Exchange environments, organizations often buy a minimum number of user CALs (e.g., 10–20) even if the actual number of users is much higher (100+), and it works. If I buy only 10 user CALs for SE, how will it affect access for the remaining users after the upgrade?